Here's to you, first granny Marian Robinson

Marian Robinson, far right, has remained a steady presence in the lives of Sasha, center, and Malia Obama as they grow up in the White House. Here they look on following President Barack Obama's public ceremonial inauguration Jan. 21, 2013.ROB CARR, GETTY IMAGES

Household rules

Michelle Obama joked in a New York Times article from 2009 about how her mother, Marian Robinson, seems to have forgotten how strict she was at the dinner table.

"My mother, who is now a grandmother – and that's a whole 'nother person – seems to believe that she never, ever really made us eat anything that we didn't want to eat," she told the Times.

Here's a look at some of the Obama household rules compiled by the Times and mentioned in interviews:

The girls write reports on the trips they take, whether or not it is a school requirement.

During the week, no watching TV or using the computer except for schoolwork.

They have to take up two sports, one of their choosing and the other picked by their mother. And they have to see it through, whether they are successful or not. No quitting.

Vegetables must be eaten, no matter what grandma's new mind-set is.

Her titles are unofficial: First Granny. First Nanny. First Grandma-in-Chief.

Her duties are familial: Live with and help take care of two of her five grandchildren.

So far, Marian Robinson appears to be doing a smashing job living up to the titles and the task.

When Mother's Day arrives on Sunday, she'll be sharing the limelight at the White House with her daughter, self-described Mom-in-Chief Michelle Obama.

Much of what the public knows about Robinson's role as a caregiver to Sasha and Malia Obama is based on the few interviews Michelle and Barack Obama have given regarding their daughters and family life.

Robinson herself has made even fewer public statements in the four-plus years since she took up residence on the third floor at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. – one flight above the first family's quarters.

Still, what we've seen and heard has been enough for Robinson, 75, to have earned the admiration of many, including those who voted her Most Admired Grandparent in the 2012 Readers' Choice Award at About.com.

Why the honor? She made a major change in her own life in Chicago to be there for her granddaughters.

She retired from her job as a bank secretary to be available full time for Sasha and Malia during the 2008 presidential campaign.

After Obama was elected to his first term, his mother-in-law was hesitant to continue that supportive role and live with them in the White House, saying in one interview, "That, I can do without. When you move in, you just hear a little bit too much."

Now she's in her own second term in the White House.

She explained why she changed her mind in an essay she wrote for Essence magazine in November: "I said yes because I knew I'd be worrying about them if I was back in Chicago anyway. I just hoped I could be helpful."

Robinson is not unlike many grandmothers these days, helping to raise their grandchildren. But she's doing it on the national stage – and setting a precedent as "First Granny."

CROWDED HOUSE

There have always been extended family members living or working in the White House, says Doug Wead, a presidential historian and author of the best-selling "All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families."

Related Links

Marian Robinson, far right, has remained a steady presence in the lives of Sasha, center, and Malia Obama as they grow up in the White House. Here they look on following President Barack Obama's public ceremonial inauguration Jan. 21, 2013. ROB CARR, GETTY IMAGES
First Lady Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, seen here at the Democratic National Convention last year, initially resisted moving with the Obama family to the White House. She changed her mind, knowing that she would be worrying about granddaughters Sasha and Malia Obama if she stayed behind in Chicago. DENNIS VAN TINE, ZUMAPRESS.COM
The White House is a multi-generational place these days. President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Malia and Sasha and "Granny-in-Chief" Marian Robinson walk across the South Lawn before boarding Marine One and departing the White House last June. CHIP SOMODEVILLA, GETTY IMAGES

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